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Noel Hancock's Trip Report to Chicago - 11/98
I left Tacoma on Talgo train #751, on November 5th. I was rerouted through Portland, as there was no space available in the single Seattle Sleeper when my reservations were made the first week in October.
I rode #751 southbound and #752 northbound (November 11th). Northwest Corridor service is excellent. Southbound, we were on time all the way; northbound about 5 minutes late into Tacoma. Except for Tacoma, intermediate loadings were very light - no more than three passengers at any point. Southbound, there was one on, none off, at Olympia; northbound, two off, none on. This surprised me.
The ride on BNSF tracks is smooth and gentle. The crews (conductors) are very friendly and offer assistance and information freely. They left me with the impression that they enjoy their work.
The eastbound Empire Builder left Portland on-time, then was held at the throat tracks as the UP dispatcher was holding a southbound freight, blocking both the south and north leads into the depot. We got underway 15 minutes late, but we were on time at Wishram. (It took 27 minutes [start to stop] to travel the 31 miles between Bingen and Wishram.) We met #8 coming into Spokane every as we left on time. In the morning, we were 3 to 6 minutes late through Montana until we came into Havre -- early, and left right on time. On time was the story for the rest of the trip. (25 minutes early into Minot, 15 minutes early into St. Paul and on time into Chicago)
The only mishaps of the tirp were at MilePost 1082 (Montana) where we made an emergency stop due to a parted air hose. This delayed us 15 minutes, but we were still early into Havre.
In Columbus, we were delayed 15 minutes because the train left the depot before an elderly, confused lady had detrained. Half of the delay was caused by a discussion between the conductor (I show only 5 passengers for Columbus, and I picked up 5 seat checks and saw them off the train) and the assistant conductor (I'm standing here in the 2730 car with a lade whose ticket reads Columbus, Wisconsin.)
The assistant conductor finally convinced the conductor to do the necessary maneuvering to allow the lady to get off the train!
Three of the four westbound #7 we met were on time also.
The crew on 28/8 was superb. All of the service crew were on the ball and very pleasant. I can say the same for 7/27 returning. There has been a tremendous improvement in the attitudes and performances of the personnel in the last twenty months. Even train crew personnel (conductors) are more congenial and pleasant. On all trips (trains 751, 27/7, 8/28, 752) when we stopped inbetween scheduled stops, PA annoucements were made promptly, explaining the cause (usually general, not specific) and length of expected delay.
I choose to think that all of this is in response partly to reports submitted to Amtrak by the Customer Advisory Committee and the traveling public. Amtrak did a comparsion between the CAC member trip reports and the Customer Service Surveys they mailed out to random passengers last winter. They found CAC members and regular passenger ratings are very similar.
The return trip on 7/27 started from Chicago on time on November 9th. Two miles from Union Station, we came to an abrupt halt--a parted air hose. Over the scanner, I heard the conductor tell the engineer they had just put a new air hose on the two cars involved in Chicago. I recalled that Sunday evening, an Amtrak person had commented that they were having an epidemic of air hose partings. He told us this problem would decline as they had redesigned the connection and these new hoses were now being installed. I wondered if we had the old breed or the new breed.
Of interest in our motive power consist was green, cream and brown Amtrak Engine #468, the Mt. Rainier. It was operating as one of our working units. Coupled to it, back to back was "Cabbage" Car 90125 (my memory may be in error), similarly painted. They made a handsome pair. I hope someone comes up with a new name for these re-built diesels - power removed and the space converted to handle baggage with a cab control unit - thus Cab-bage. The floor of the baggage unit is mightly far from the ground, I think. Presumbly, they will operate on either end of the Cascades, thus eliminating the need to wye the equipment.
Unit #468 created some problems (alarm bells ringing) that could not be readily resolved. As a result of this, and the air hose problem, we operated fifty minutes late all the way from Milwaukeee through the Twin Cities and by Rugby.
Between Rugby and Minot, we lost another hour as blowing snow was clogging the track side signal. We covered the distance at a 30 MPH average, stopping frequently so the engineer could reach out the window (or door) with a broom so he could read the signal indication.
The time deficit was cut to one hour at Havre, and 30 minutes at Portland.
The sleeping cars on both trains were sold out, although there were two no-shows in 2730--one in Wisconsin, and one at Essex. The space at Essex was not a total loss, as it had been occupied into Minot. The coaches in the Seattle section were half-full eastbound, and had 70 more or less westbound. The Portland Section was about the same eastbound, and closer to 85 westbound. A coach was added both east and west between St. Paul and Chicago, and was 2/3 full.
The equipment for 7/27 had been washed (exterior in Union Station in Chicago) and was unusually clean. Interior cleaniness was very good.
On the outbound trip, I had five hours layover in Portland, so I took the free transit service uptown, then rode the new MAX line out to Hillsboro. I have ridden the Gresham line which is more like a street car -- running in street medians. The Hillsboro line is more like an old interurban. It gets out of the small towns and cruises fast through the fields, small rolling hills, along freeways from small town to town. I was favorably impressed!
Outbound, I rode in one of the original cars built by Bombarier. Inbound, I moved to a more recently built car, built by Siemens. The Bombardier car was superior in all aspects.
Bombarier Vs. Siemens:No Sway vs. Laterial sway.
Smooth, easy stop vs. rough, buckling stop
No rattles vs. Vibration, rattle.
Very Quiet vs. Loud track noises.
This is surely the way to go! Let's boost our local effort and look for expansion.
This covers the train trip - all in all the best Empire Builder trip ever. In my ridership experience, it is at least as good, if not better than the Coast Starlight and it has no PALOUR CAR.
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Last Update: 12/28/98
Web Author: Warren Y. Yee
